The pathway is designed for people who are employed full time and whose employer is willing to sponsor the PhD, both by entering into an academic agreement with Northeastern and by providing financial sponsorship for the program. Your research is typically a question sparked by your current work that is also of interest to your employer.

Not necessarily. The master’s requirement is program dependent and can be waived when justified. We encourage you to complete an interest form and attend an information session, where this and many related questions are addressed for your specific program.

It depends on how your visa is sponsored:

• Employer-sponsored (e.g. H-1B): generally eligible, because the pathway relies on your employer, not the university, sponsoring your status. The diploma is equivalent to any Northeastern PhD.
• F-1: not eligible, because Industry PhD students are not sponsored by the university for their visa.
• STEM OPT and similar: options may exist, such as participating as an Experiential PhD Fellow funded by your employer. Reach out to discuss your specific situation.

Questions about maintaining or changing your immigration status should go to your visa sponsor.

Yes. A small company can serve as the industry partner as long as it can sign the academic agreement and provide funding. In that case you’ll need an advisor close to your industry work who is not a conflict of interest, in addition to your Northeastern faculty advisor.

Possibly. For the pathway to be an option, your employer must be willing to enter into an academic agreement with Northeastern and provide financial support for the program. If you can secure that support, you can begin identifying a faculty advisor and moving through the process.

The Industry PhD is a full-time research program, not an online degree, and there is no part-time option for working professionals. Depending on the program that admits you, some coursework may be available online; course requirements vary by department.

Because your employer sponsors the research and the funding, Northeastern enters into a formal academic agreement with them. A support letter alone is not sufficient. The team usually meets with leadership at the prospective partner before sending the agreement for review, which helps put it in context.

They work together:

• The Master Service Agreement (MSA) is the umbrella agreement between your employer and Northeastern. It carries no financial commitment on its own, and once it’s in place it can support future students from the same partner.
• The Schedule is your individual research plan and spells out the financial terms for your specific PhD.

If several colleagues from one employer are joining, it’s worth executing the MSA as early as possible.

We can send your manager a copy of the current template so it can be reviewed ahead of any conversation. We like to schedule a meeting along with sharing the agreement so that we can address any questions or misunderstandings as soon as possible.

Both are addressed in the program agreement. Your employer can review publications to protect confidential information and can delay a publication if a patent is being filed. University policy also allows a dissertation to be embargoed for up to two years. Specific IP terms depend on the final project, so they’re settled through the agreement rather than in advance.

You’ll generally need clear support from your manager, and often endorsement from a Vice President who can approve the final schedule and, where relevant, sign the agreement. Confirming that support early keeps the process moving.